Student Spotlight: Meet Jimena Soto-Lara

Growing up on the south side of Grand Rapids, Jimena Soto-Lara became aware of the importance of expanding opportunities for children in her community.

So, when considering potential college majors, she ultimately chose to study business in preparation for a variety of careers that could help neighborhoods like hers thrive.

Though Soto-Lara initially planned on attending community college, she quickly changed her mind after visiting the Kuyper College campus and meeting with Director of Admissions Ann Essenburg and Marc Andreas, associate professor of business leadership and the program’s director.

“We got to talking about what Kuyper’s Business Leadership program had to offer, and I was excited,” she recalled.

The ability to hone her skills in areas like finance, accounting, marketing and more was exactly what she was looking for, and the prospect of graduating with work experience already under her belt through KuyperWorks sealed the deal.

“The opportunity to get work experience while you’re in college is something very valuable, and I think it sets you apart from other people when you’re applying for jobs after graduation,” Soto-Lara noted.

Securing summer employment in the Business Office that first year, as well as several scholarships, was just further confirmation that Kuyper was the place for her.

“I had been praying to God for clarity on whether this was the right decision, and I saw that opportunity as Him speaking to me and telling me it was the right place to be,” she said.

Now in her last summer before graduation in December, Soto-Lara has pivoted to a marketing and communications internship in Kuyper’s Advancement Office, which she loves.

She spends her days working with the Business Office to track and catalogue donor information, as well as teaming up with Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Specialist Elizabeth Isham to expand Kuyper’s social media presence.

“A future project that I’ll have is to create more detailed, specific content that she’ll be able to use throughout the school year on our social media pages,” she said.

As for her post-graduation future, Soto-Lara says she’s keeping her career options open, though she hopes to work somewhere in the realm of marketing, perhaps at a nonprofit organization like the Hispanic community center in her neighborhood.

Reflecting on her time at Kuyper, she added that the mentorship she received through her KuyperWorks and internship roles is one of the most valuable ways Kuyper prepared her for that possibility.

“Everybody here is always so helpful, and they truly want to help you grow; they are rooting for you. They truly want you to learn,” she said.